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Love Is Scary: 12 Weird Valentine’s Day Phobias

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a time of love and happiness, but it’s also pretty anxiety-inducing. From the fear of staying single to a dread of chocolate, Life’s Little Mysteries has rounded up the strangest Valentine’s Day phobias. Here are a dozen examples:

1. “Commitmentphobia” is a made-up phobia, but folks who fear being in a relationship may actually have amoraphobia, the fear of love.

2. People with metrophobia, the fear of poetry, would need to hire a ghostwriter if they want to pen their sweetheart a passionate verse.

3. A heart-shaped box of chocolates — that sweet Valentine’s Day staple — would be more horrifying than romantic to those with xocolatophobia, the fear of chocolate.

4. Here’s a phobia that is probably most common among bashful people making a Valentine’s overture to a crush: Erythrophobia, or fear of blushing, causes the sufferer to be extremely embarrassed and self-conscious of their reddening complexion. Talk about a vicious cycle.

5. Anyone who has ever been the victim of a particularly bad kisser can understand philematophobia, or the fear of kissing.

6. Sending a red, heart-shaped Valentine’s Day card to someone with cardiophobia, the fear of the heart, would be a pretty cruel thing to do.

7. What could possibly be threatening about a bouquet of flowers? Among those with anthrophobia, or the fear of flowers, a single red rose brings about feelings of anxiety — even if it’s been de-thorned.

8. People with haphephobia or aphenphosmphobia will be pretty lonely on Valentine’s Day, as their phobias cause them to avoid letting anyone touch their skin.

9. Headaches caused by overwhelmingly strong, chemical scents and burns from hot wax may explain why some suffer from keriophobia — the fear of candles.

10. Guys who have anuptaphobia, the fear of staying single, might want to use a wingman to help pick up women at bars.

11. & 12. These last two go together: Ornithophobia, the fear of birds, and apiphobia, the fear of bees. One poses the threat of being pooped on from above and the other packs a painful sting, so these phobias seem pretty reasonable to us.